Animal Frontier Bloghttp://animalfrontier.com/blog
Rescue centerTue, 12 Nov 2013 20:55:17 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.3Jaguarshttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/jaguars/
Tue, 12 Nov 2013 20:55:17 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=436At dusk one evening, deep in a Costa Rican forest, a young male jaguar rises from his sleep, stretches, and silently but determinedly leaves forever the place where he was born. There’s shelter here, and plenty of brocket deer, peccaries, and agoutis for food. He has sensed, too, the presence of females with which he […]

At dusk one evening, deep in a Costa Rican forest, a young male jaguar rises from his sleep, stretches, and silently but determinedly leaves forever the place where he was born.

There’s shelter here, and plenty of brocket deer, peccaries, and agoutis for food. He has sensed, too, the presence of females with which he might mate. But there’s also a mature male jaguar that claims the forest—and the females. The older cat will tolerate no rivals. The breeze-blown scent of the young male’s mother, so comforting to him when he was a cub, no longer binds him to his home. So he goes.

]]>Dolphins Help Save Dog from Drowninghttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/dolphins-help-save-dog-drowning/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/dolphins-help-save-dog-drowning/#respondMon, 28 Oct 2013 17:22:14 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=433On Marco Island, Florida a group of dolphins came to the aid of a lost Dog that had fallen into a canal and couldn’t get out. The dolphins made so much noise, it attracted the attention of people living nearby, who then rescued the dog. The Dog was believed to have spent 15 hours in […]

On Marco Island, Florida a group of dolphins came to the aid of a lost Dog that had fallen into a canal and couldn’t get out. The dolphins made so much noise, it attracted the attention of people living nearby, who then rescued the dog. The Dog was believed to have spent 15 hours in the canal water before he was pulled out by fire personnel and reunited with his owner.
One of the people whose attention was captured by the noisy, demonstrative dolphins said, “They were really putting up a ruckus, almost beaching themselves on the sandbar over there. If it wasn’t for the dolphin, I would have never seen the dog.” (Source: ABC7news) He said also if the dolphins hadn’t persisted enough to get their attention, the dog would have died in the canal. The dog had fallen over the edge of a concrete wall down into the water far enough that it had no chance of getting back up by itself. The dog was exhausted from being in the cold water for hours, and most likely suffering from hypothermia.

Dolphins have been known to sometimes help stranded or injured people as well. In 2007, a pod of dolphins formed a ring around a surfer who was injured and bleeding after being bitten by a Great White shark. The surfer survived because they prevented further bites. No one knows exactly why dolphins have intervened in such emergency situations, and helped save the lives of other species. Suffice to say they are capable of empathy and heroic actions.

If you LOVE this heartwarming story as much as we do, then share it with your friends!

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

58.

59.

60.

61.

62.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/cutest-interspecies-animal-friendships/feed/020 Unlikely Animal Friendshipshttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/20-unlikely-animal-friendships/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/20-unlikely-animal-friendships/#respondWed, 18 Sep 2013 18:23:31 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=4251. The cat and the duckling Alishav / Via Flickr: alishav I can haz bffl? 2. The tiger and the orangutan Dimas Ardian / Getty Images At the Taman Safari animal hospital in Indonesia, abandoned primates Nia and Irma have no problem snuggling with Dema and Manis — who happen to be Sumatran tigers. Both species are endangered, […]

2. The tiger and the orangutan

Dimas Ardian / Getty Images

At the Taman Safari animal hospital in Indonesia, abandoned primates Nia and Irma have no problem snuggling with Dema and Manis — who happen to be Sumatran tigers. Both species are endangered, but in the sanctuary, they enjoy the same activities as their wild brothers and sisters: cat naps for the tigers and rope swinging for the orangutans.

3. The pigeon and the macaque

Photoshot

This macaque was rescued from Neilingding Island in China, and his recovery was dragging until he made friends with this pigeon. Now the two are rarely apart.

4. The elephant and the sheep

ZUMA Press

Albert the sheep didn’t make such a great impression on Themba when they first met. The elephant chased Albert for 12 hours straight! Now they’re inseparable.

5. The tiger and the piglets

ZUMA Press

In the great circle of weirdness, this tiger (raised by pigs) nurses a little of piglets (dressed like tigers). Wait, what? Whatever, it’s cute.

6. The hippo and the tortoise

Peter Greste/AFP / Getty Images

Even a 130-year age difference can’t come between these BFFs: Owen the baby hippopotamus and Mzee the giant tortoise have been friends since Owen was rescued from a reef where he was stranded. The frightened hippo ran over to the surprised tortoise and hid behind him — just as he would have hidden behind his mother!

7. The cat and the red panda

After its mother left, this red panda joined a group of kittens being raised by a house cat at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam.

8. The monkey and the dog

ZUMA Press

Why can’t we all just get along?

9. The chick and the kitty

ZUMA Press

While some cats might spot a helpless baby chick and think “lunch,” this orange tabby kitten in Russia saw a friend in need of a helping paw. Baby pavlovskya hens are particularly susceptible to attacks from rats and other vermin, but this little chick stayed safe all spring, thanks to its frisky feline bodyguard.

10. The deer and the goose

ZUMA Press

In a surprising act of interspecies devotion, a deer recently stood watch for weeks over a nesting Canada goose in a Buffalo, N.Y., cemetery. The goose sat on her eggs inside a large urn at the Forest Lawn Cemetery, and the buck stayed nearby, often positioning himself between the goose and any cars or passersby. After the goslings hatched, this bodyguard buck continued to protect them by chasing off crows!

11. The cheetah and the pup

Splash

Cats and dogs really CAN get along! The animals are part of the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program, which works in conjunction with the Cheetah Conservation Fund to protect these threatened wild cats. The Cat Ambassador Program educates farmers in Namibia and South Africa on how these dogs can be used to protect livestock from cheetahs without shooting the cats.

12. The mouse and the frog

ZUMA Press

The annual summer monsoon rains arrived early in India, but this lucky little mouse managed to keep its head above water, thanks to a froggy friendship.

13. The kitty and the crow

This crow took the kitten under its wing, feeding it worms and bugs and keeping the young feline out of the street.

14. The greyhound and the baby owl

Splash

Keepers say Torque seems to have adopted Shrek the owl as his own daughter and is extremely protective of her. Torque keeps his eye on Shrek as the two roam the home of falconer John Picton, and they often spend their evenings curled up on the couch watching TV.

15. The lion, tiger and bear (oh my!)

lemur baby/Flickr

Yeah, it’s real. Leo the lion, Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear were found together as cubs during a police raid of a drug baron’s home in Atlanta. When the young trio moved to Noah’s Ark rescue center in Locust Grove, Ga., zookeepers decided to keep them together, and they all still live and play in their very own habitat. Visitors can watch the 1,000-pound bear, 350-pound lion and 350-pound tiger cuddle, lounge and wrestle together, and zoo cofounder Jama Hedgecoth says the animals are oblivious to the fact that they aren’t natural companions.

16. The sled dog and the polar bear

Norbert Rosing

When a polar bear arrived on the scene, wildlife photographer Norbert Rosing thought it was going to be the end of the sled dogs, but to his astonishment, the bear nuzzled a dog and the dog licked the bear’s face in return. Thus a heartwarming round of playtime and cuddling began between two natural predators.

17. The baby monkey and the pig

This adorable video of two unlikely furry friends went viral in 2010, and when Parry Gripp penned a ridiculously addictive song to accompany it, the video became that much better. Warning: Watch at your own risk. This song will be in your head for days.

18. The dolphin and the cat

When a tabby cat named Arthur encountered a couple of dolphins at an Islamorada, Fla., marine park, no one would’ve expected them to hit it off so well. The two gregarious dolphins named Thunder and Shiloh were clearly delighted by their new feline friend and were quick to nuzzle him as Arthur pawed their noses.

19. The cat and the shepherd dog

ZUMA Press

When a kitten’s mother was killed by a car in Turkey, a shepherd dog named Cotton adopted the orphaned feline. Cotton and the kitten play together and eat from the same plate, and when it’s cold, Cotton lets the cat climb onto his back to sleep.

20. The rabbit and the deer

ZUMA Press

When Svetlana Harper spotted a shivering fawn on the roadside next to a dead doe, she brought the young deer home, nursed it back to health and named it Bambi. Bambi took an immediate liking to Ben, Harper’s rabbit.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/20-unlikely-animal-friendships/feed/025 Amazing Facts You Didn’t Know About Animalshttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/25-amazing-facts-you-didnt-know-about-animals/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/25-amazing-facts-you-didnt-know-about-animals/#respondTue, 17 Sep 2013 22:48:21 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=418It’s mind-blowing to think about the multitude of animals that exist in this world. From the tiny flea to the great blue whale, each animal possesses a unique quality that makes it stand out from the rest. Even if you’re a zoology expert, you might be surprised by some of these 25 amazing facts about […]

]]>It’s mind-blowing to think about the multitude of animals that exist in this world. From the tiny flea to the great blue whale, each animal possesses a unique quality that makes it stand out from the rest. Even if you’re a zoology expert, you might be surprised by some of these 25 amazing facts about animals. Prepare to be astounded by the resilience, physical abilities, and sheer brilliance of these magnificent creatures.

25 – Housefly

Houseflies don’t allow their short lifespans (14 days) to hinder their musical abilities. They always hum in the key of F.

24 – Ostrich

Ostriches can run faster than horses, and the male ostriches can roar like lions.

23 – Bat

Bats are the only mammals that can fly, but wouldn’t it be awesome if humans could fly too?

22 – Kangaroo

Kangaroos use their tails for balance, so if you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the ground, it can’t hop.

21 – Spider

On average, there are 50,000 spiders per acre in green areas. Bet you’ll think twice before going outside now – unless you’re this guy.

20 – Tiger

Tigers not only have stripes on their fur, they also have them on their skin. No two tigers ever have the same stripes.

19 – Crocodile

Here’s a tidbit that might be useful if you plan on becoming the next Steve Irwin: To escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw, push your thumb into its eyeball – It will let you go instantly.

18 – Flea

Fleas can jump up to 200 times their height. This is equivalent to a man jumping the Empire State Building in New York.

17 – Cat

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. All the better for them to eavesdrop on your conversations and plot your demise.

16 – Elephant

Elephants can smell water up to 3 miles away. They are also one of the three mammals that undergo menopause – the other two being humpback whales and human females.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/25-amazing-facts-you-didnt-know-about-animals/feed/0The Incredible Biodiversity of Costa Ricahttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/the-incredible-biodiversity-of-costa-rica/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/the-incredible-biodiversity-of-costa-rica/#respondMon, 09 Sep 2013 17:28:17 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=414One of the most incredible aspects of Costa Rica is definitely the diverse and exotic flora and fauna that lives here. Home to five percent of the world’s biodiversity in a country that is about the size of the states of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. 25 percent of the country is National Parks and […]

]]>One of the most incredible aspects of Costa Rica is definitely the diverse and exotic flora and fauna that lives here. Home to five percent of the world’s biodiversity in a country that is about the size of the states of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. 25 percent of the country is National Parks and protected land.

In 1977, Costa Rica established a National Parks Service. While its inhabitants welcome visitors, they take care to teach guests to be ecologically conscious. Turismo Sostenible or Sustainable Tourism is one such program that promotes the Costa Rican culture as well as encouraging the care and conservation of its lands.

There are a variety of nature preserves and parks to explore throughout Costa Rica. Though most have hiking trails, some beachfront preserves also offer swimming and snorkeling. Parrots, eagles and sandpipers as well as marine birds such as brown pelicans, egrets and ibis can be found. You may even spot the magnificent frigatebird—which inflates its bright red throat pouch during mating season. (ream more about Costa Rican birds here) A variety of turtles also breed in Costa Rica including hawksbill, green and leatherbacks. On the land side, howler monkeys, long-tongued bats, white-tailed deer and variegated squirrels may cross your path. You can see pictures and read about some of our larger animals in this earlier articles about Costa Rica wildlife.

We have some big, hairy species of spiders as well as other gargantuan insects such as cockroaches, centipedes, millipedes and even scorpions. In fact, Costa Rica is home to more than 35,000 species of insects. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be lucky enough to miss those tourist attractions.

Ask your Palms concierge for information on visiting one of Costa Rica’s magnificent national parks, and to start to get up to speed, read some of the articles profiling individual parks below.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/the-incredible-biodiversity-of-costa-rica/feed/0New baby in the familyhttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/new-baby-in-the-family/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/new-baby-in-the-family/#respondThu, 05 Sep 2013 23:30:31 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=410One of our employees called us after his wife found a tiny kitten in a bag over the main road. He was so small, his eyes still closed and they asked if we could take care of him. We’ve sent a taxi to bring him, and decided to try and join him with 4 other […]

]]>One of our employees called us after his wife found a tiny kitten in a bag over the main road. He was so small, his eyes still closed and they asked if we could take care of him. We’ve sent a taxi to bring him, and decided to try and join him with 4 other young kittens and their mom who are still breastfeeding. Gladly enough she adopted him immediately, even though he is younger and smaller than the rest of her kittens. Only 5 minutes passed and he was part of the happy family.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/new-baby-in-the-family/feed/0Undersea coral rainforest need protectionhttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/undersea-coral-rainforest-need-protection/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/undersea-coral-rainforest-need-protection/#respondMon, 12 Aug 2013 17:19:26 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=404 The mention of coral reefs usually brings to mind crystal-clear, warm tropical waters, bright colorful fish and coral … maybe even the movie, “Nemo.” Coral reefs form such vast, diverse ecosystems that they are commonly called the “rainforests of the oceans.” Like the rainforests on land, coral reefs are extremely threatened by humans’ actions and climate change. Since […]

The mention of coral reefs usually brings to mind crystal-clear, warm tropical waters, bright colorful fish and coral … maybe even the movie, “Nemo.” Coral reefs form such vast, diverse ecosystems that they are commonly called the “rainforests of the oceans.”

Like the rainforests on land, coral reefs are extremely threatened by humans’ actions and climate change. Since the late 1970s, coral reefs across the world have been dying at an unprecedented rate, and it only seems to be getting worse, according to Phil Dustan, a marine biologist at the College of Charleston, South Carolina, in anEarth Observatory / NASA report.

“It’s a real tragedy,” states Dustan. “But over the past 20 years, we’ve seen a rapid decline in the vitality of coral reefs and their ecosystems worldwide.” In the report, Dustan explains that corals evolved in warm, clean, still waters with stable levels of sunlight and salinity. In order for the corals to survive, these waters must remain pristine and relatively undisturbed. A delicate balance also has to be maintained between the animals that feed on and live among the reefs. If any of these factors are thrown off balance, the polyps in the reef will be eaten away by predators, devastated by disease, or simply become so stressed that they die, Dustan explains.

Corals are invertebrate animals that stay fixed in one place and live in tropical waters all over the world, usually close to the surface where the sun’s rays can reach them. Dustan explains that though corals may appear to be jagged stone plants sprouting from the ocean floor, only a very thin layer of polyps on the coral’s surface is actually alive. These polyps, which resemble tiny sea anemones, build interconnected tubes around themselves as protection against predators. Each time new polyps are born, they will construct their shells on top of their predecessors’. Stacks upon stacks of the limestone shells pile up on top of one another through the years to create coral branches and heads, and ultimately giant reefs (Miller and Crosby 1998).

Over millions of years, thousands upon thousands of species of sea creatures have come to depend on corals as a source of food and shelter. So far, researchers have identified nearly 4,000 kinds of fish and tens of thousands of invertebrates that thrive and depend on some 800 types of known coral, Dustan reports.

Coral reefs are dying off due to pollution, overfishing, blast fishing (using dynamite to kill fish), and digging under the water. Coral reefs only develop in areas with specific environmental characteristics: Warm water temperatures, clear waters low in phosphate and nitrogen, a solid structure for attachment, and moderate wave action to disperse wastes and bring oxygen and plankton to the reef. Reef growth is extremely slow; an individual colony grows 1 to 7 inches (1 to 18 cm) in a year, depending on the species.

A recent study by the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), entitled “Coral Reefs in Costa Rica,” states that 97% of the 970 km2 of reefs that live in Costa Rica’s waters are threatened by human activities. Paradoxically, corals have a value of $582 million annually for Costa Rica, a product of its profits in fishing, tourism, scientific research, and in prevention of natural disasters (corals prevent coastal erosion caused by hurricanes and storms).

The AIDA report calls for urgent action by Costa Rica’s government to protect coral reefs. While Costa Rica is bound by international treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to protect corals, the country does not have specific regulations that enforce these obligations.

The Cahuita National Park is home to one of Costa Rica’s largest coral reefs, and the only mature coral formation found along the Caribbean coast. Extending 500 meters out from Cahuita Point, the reef fans out over an area of about 600 acres (a square mile). Snorkeling in the area is fantastic, and you can swim right out from shore or go on a boat. You can see 35 species of coral and an abundant variety of marine life.

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/undersea-coral-rainforest-need-protection/feed/09 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Humpback Whaleshttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/9-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-humpback-whales/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/9-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-humpback-whales/#respondMon, 05 Aug 2013 20:09:01 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=396In case you didn’t know, Costa Rica’s whale-watching season is upon us! July marks the arrival of humpbacks in the southern Pacific, here for another season of mating and calfing. (I guess even whales like to honeymoon in Costa Rica!) Costa Rica’s Drake Bay, on the Osa Peninsula, is home to the longest humpback whale-watching […]

In case you didn’t know, Costa Rica’s whale-watching season is upon us! July marks the arrival of humpbacks in the southern Pacific, here for another season of mating and calfing. (I guess even whales like to honeymoon in Costa Rica!)

Costa Rica’s Drake Bay, on the Osa Peninsula, is home to the longest humpback whale-watching season in the world. (How cool is that?!) South American humpbacks migrate north from Antarctica to spend July through October here (their mating and calfing season), while North American populations flee the Arctic to winter in Costa Rica (December through April). All told, the Osa Peninsula hosts humpback whales for nine months of the year – more than any other place on Earth!

If you’re interested in whale watching in Costa Rica – and you should be, it’s an incredible sight! – you should head on down to the southern Pacific. In fact, more than 25 whale and dolphin species migrate or reside here, so you’ll have the chance to spot humpbacks, Bryde’s whales, orcas (technically dolphins, of course), sei whales, and more. For prime whale watching, Drake Bay is your best bet although any Osa Peninsula hotel serves as a great home base.

And now, without further ado, 9 awesome things you [probably] never knew about humpback whales:

1. They’re huge.

Humpback whales grow an astounding 48-62.5 feet long and weigh 25-40 tons (that’s 50,000-80,000 pounds!). That’s as much as five African elephants, the largest land mammal in the world!

2. And they really, really like to eat.

Though humpbacks dine on tiny krill and small fish, they eat up to 1.5 tons (that’s 3,000 pounds!) of fish everyday. (Now that’s an expensive sushi habit!) But get this: They only eat during the summer.

3. Their flippers account for nearly 1/3 of their total size.

Humpbacks have the largest flippers of any whale species. The white-mottled propellers measure 1/4 to 1/3 the whale’s total length; in other words, up to 20 feet long!

4. They have fingerprints.

Well, sort of. Every humpback whale has patterned markings on its underside that are so unique, each individual can be identified by just this white-and-gray “fingerprint.”

5. They like company. Lots and lots of company.

Humpback whales migrate and travel in pods of up to 20,000 individuals!

6. They have facial hair.

A humpback’s lower jaw and top of the head is covered in bumpy knobs, each with at least one, coarse hair. The purpose of this “facial hair” is unknown, although scientists think they might help a whale detect nearby movement.

7. They’re the ocean’s Pavarotti.

Male humpback whale sing elaborate, beautiful and somewhat eerie songs to attract females during mating season. Their complex vocalizations are the most wide-ranging (20-9,000 Hertz) and inventive of any whale species.

8. They’re acrobatic.

Humpbacks are known to breech, dive, spin and dance in and out of the water. Two of their more endearing tricks include lobtailing – sticking their tail up to slap the ocean’s surface – and spyhopping, when their heads pop above the surface like a submarine’s periscope.

9. They have to remember to breathe. Seriously.

Unlike humans, humpback whales breath voluntarily – kind of a requirement when you breathe air but spend most of your time underwater. Therefore, scientists postulate that humpbacks actually turn off half their brain so they can sleep!

]]>http://animalfrontier.com/blog/9-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-humpback-whales/feed/0Humpback whale-watching season starts in Costa Ricahttp://animalfrontier.com/blog/humpback-whale-watching-season-starts-in-costa-rica/
http://animalfrontier.com/blog/humpback-whale-watching-season-starts-in-costa-rica/#respondTue, 30 Jul 2013 21:42:07 +0000http://animalfrontier.com/blog/?p=393At the very bottom of Costa Rica, the placid blue waters of the Golfo Dulce shine like a mirror most days, reflecting occasional clouds and the immense cerulean sky. Its calm surface is broken by the odd small, local boat cruising along, but the most action is caused by dolphins frolicking or fishing, sea turtles swimming, fish jumping […]

]]>At the very bottom of Costa Rica, the placid blue waters of the Golfo Dulce shine like a mirror most days, reflecting occasional clouds and the immense cerulean sky. Its calm surface is broken by the odd small, local boat cruising along, but the most action is caused by dolphins frolicking or fishing, sea turtles swimming, fish jumping out of the water, and marine birds diving for those fish.

This time of year, the Gulf gets even busier with visiting migrating Humpback Whales. The “inner sea” of Golfo Dulce, known as a tropical fjord, on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast by the Osa Peninsula is a critical habitat for Humpback Whales and is key to the species’ survival, according to the Center of Cetacean Investigation of Costa Rica (CEIC). Whales arrive to reproduce and give birth in the warm waters of Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, from the Ballena National Marine Park just south of Dominical down to the Golfo Dulce.

The annual migration of Pacific Humpback Whales is one of the most remarkable journeys by any creature on the planet. The cetaceans travel between 3,000 and 5,000 miles each way, from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, making them one of the farthest-migrating animals on Earth. Northern Hemisphere Humpbacks travel from Alaska and British Columbia to Mexico, Hawaii and Central America, for the months of December to March. Southern,Antarctic-based Humpback Whales spend their winter months near Australia and as far north as Costa Rica from June to November. They are most likely to be seen in Costa Rica between August and October.

The southern whales are more abundant in Golfo Dulce, according to research by the CEIC. Females swim into the shallow waters of the Gulf’s interior to birth their young and breastfeed them. Males concentrate in the outer area of the Gulf waiting to breed with available females.

“A large part of the Gulf is used by Humpbacks to rest, give birth to their young, and nurse them for a week until they are able to get out to the Pacific to continue with their migration,” notes research by the CEIC.

The CEIC and other environmental organizations, including Earthwatch, are lobbying for the creation of a Marine Protected Area within Golfo Dulce to safeguard the whales’ reproductive and feeding grounds, and to establish buffer areas surrounding these critical habitats.

“(There is an) urgent need to create connectivity between different marine protected areas to maximize the effectiveness in the protection of species and resources,” note CEIC researchers.

Humpback whales are an endangered species with international government-protected status. They are easy to spot since they live at the ocean’s surface, both in the open ocean and in shallow coastline waters. They swim slowly and are known as the“acrobats of the sea” for their aerial antics, which makes them perfect stars for whale-watching tours. Humpbacks also are known for their “songs” – long, varied, complex and beautiful sequences of squeaks, grunts, and other sounds. Only males have been recorded singing and they seem to produce the complex songs only in warm waters – thought by scientists, therefore, to be mating calls. Listen to recorded HumpbackWhales singing off the coast of Maui at www.whalesong.net.

Golfo Dulce also is home to important resident and migratory communities ofBottlenose Dolphins, Spotted Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, and the occasionally seen False Killer Whales.

Visit Golfo Dulce

Stay right on the inner Golfo Dulce at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, and see these gentle giants in person. The award-winning eco-lodge offers boat tours of the Gulf tosee marine life such as dolphins, sea turtles and whales.

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is located on a 165-acre private preserve bordering thePiedras Blancas National Park. A TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner, the sustainable lodge is a unique adventure travel destination for its remote, pristine wilderness location.